Let’s face it, in today’s world we’re all more or less glued to our phones. We can’t leave the house without our mobile, it goes wherever we go and when we can’t find it we go nuts. Our entire life is on this one device – we have become digital slaves. However, although there is an app for everything and anything including calendar and productivity apps, paper planners are making a serious comeback.
From the traditional planners to the more creative and personalised bullet journals, increasingly people (myself included) are ditching the digital grind and are choosing the good old fashioned pen-and-paper approach. But why is that?
Well, it certainly is not just about the pretty looking journals or feeling nostalgic. In fact, there is some science-backed evidence why writing things down by hand with paper planners can boost productivity, creativity, and even mental health. So, let’s dive into why paper planners are having a comeback in the digital-obsessed world and how they can seriously level up your planning.
The Appeal of Paper Planners
So, why are so many people turning back to paper planners when they have something small and always accessible to them in their pocket? Something so easy to use?
Personalisation and Creativity
You want your planner to match your personality? You want to look forward to taking out your planner every day to plan your dream life? More importantly, do you want to make your planner truly yours?
It’s not exactly possible to personalise a digital planner. You might be able to change the font such as the size of letters or the colour of a task, but you can’t stick a washi tape on your phone, doodle on the screen or pick a cover that makes you want to sit down and plan your days.
This is one of the main reasons why bullet journals have become so popular. These journals truly offer a unique way to personalise your planner to your heart’s content and let your creativity run wild. You can design each month based on themes or seasons, add customised sections to track specific outcomes such as mood trackers and create layouts that truly work for you. No restrictions or compromises.
Tangibility
A paper planner you can hold in your hand, touch, flick through page by page and write in with a pen has an element of tangibility and realness to it that digital tools are simply lacking.
Plus, from experience, I can tell you that since I started to use a paper planner, I am working towards achieving my goals on a daily basis rather than once in a while or when I remember.
I bought a really pretty daily planner from Papier that I truly adore and look forward to using every day. As I can physically see my planner (I keep it on my desk), it acts as a reminder. Whenever I see it, I am more likely to take action in the form of opening my planner, looking at my to-dos and goals, and taking aligned action that gets me closer to getting things done and living a happy and fulfilled life.
Screen-Free Time
Lots of people turn back to paper planners to reduce their screen time. We’re glued to screens for everything and studies show that excessive screen time puts a strain on our eyes – they can get dry and tired as we blink less – and can lead to headaches. Not to mention, too much screen time just before bed can reduce the quality of sleep you’re getting, which, of course, then has a knock-on effect on your energy levels for the next day.
If you want to reduce your screen time, then start with small changes. Writing down your to-dos, activities, appointments and plans into a paper planner offers a great starting point.
Sense of Accomplishment
The sense of accomplishment you get from crossing off tasks on your list with a pen, striking through tasks does not 100% materialise when you use a digital planner. Simply put, it’s just not the same ticking a checkbox in an app.
Clarity
Writing everything down by hand – the act of writing – gives you a sense of clarity as writing reinforces memory.
Additionally, when you get everything out of your head and onto paper, you’re able to really see and make sense of all the information that was once jumbled up in your head. You can analyse it, organise it and prioritise it.
Digital planners are limited by the size of the screen you’re using and don’t really allow you to see everything at a glance. You need to scroll up and down to access the information you need.
Mindfulness
Sitting down for a planning or brainstorming session with just a pen and paper offers a moment for reflection and slowing down. Unlike digital tools, you’ve got nothing to distract you – no apps and no open tabs competing for and stealing your attention.
You really have to take a moment to sit with your thoughts, carving out some intentional time to think about your goals. Surprisingly, this can actually help reduce stress and make you feel more grounded.
The Science of Handwriting
I have only highlighted a few reasons here why paper planners are wonderful and beneficial, but let’s look in a bit more detail at the art of handwriting. Because, after all, that’s where the magic happens – when we physically write things down.
Science actually backs this up. Studies show that handwriting can be way more effective than just typing things out. Specifically, you improve memory retention and actively engage your brain when writing things down, which makes it easier to remember things and recall them later.
Furthermore, writing by hand forces you to slow down and process information. This in turn can help with problem solving and coming up with new ideas.
It’s also proven that handwriting strengthens neural connections. Essentially, it strengthens the pathways in your brain as your actively engaging motor skills, memory, and cognitive processes, making it easier to remember and later recall information.
And lastly, you probably knew this already – journaling and planning can help with stress relief and, to reiterate, bring clarity, emotional balance, and mental clarity.
Finding the Perfect Balance
I am definitely in the paper planner camp. However, that being said, I do use digital tools as well to complement my planning and ideas generation processes. It’s all about finding the perfect balance and finding a way and system that works for you. Here’s what works for me right now:
Use Digital Tools for Quick Notes
I currently collect ideas, aha moments and write down anything that pops up in my mind on Google Notes when I don’t have access to my paper planner. For example, when I go for a walk or when I’m at work.
Once I have access to my paper planner again, I will transfer any relevant information to it from Notes such as appointments, things I want to work on that week or any new ideas I want to try out. The trick is to limit the number of digital tools you’re using. I used to have multiple digital apps and tools and it was a mess.
Goal Planning
I actually use a project management tool called Asana for my yearly and quarterly goal-setting and planning. Nonetheless, the real magic always happens when I take a pen and paper to hand and do my brainstorming and planning the good old fashioned way. In my experience, handwriting allows for more flexibility and better expression. It’s easier to sketch out ideas and mind-map.
Once I’m satisfied with what my action plan looks like and the tasks involved to reach my goals, I will enter everything into Asana to keep track of all my goals, sub-goals and tasks as well as to track progress and see what’s left to do.
At the end of each week, I sit down to review the week that just passed and plan for the week to come using my weekly review workbook. As part of this review, I refer back to Asana to check-in on my goals – to check what I managed to accomplish that week, progress, what tasks had to be pushed back and didn’t get done. Next, I look at what I want to work on and accomplish the next week and plan each day in my paper planner to include tasks and action steps that get me closer to where I want to be.
I find that this method works best for me. Digital tools like Asana support my weekly and daily planning in this case.
Why are Paper Planners Making a Comeback?
While there is no one definitive answer, I can say for me it came down to these three things: personalisation, flexibility and creativity.
These are three aspects that digital tools are simply lacking, but that are extremely important to me. I’m a visual person and need to see everything at one glance. Sometimes I brainstorm and gather ideas over three pages. I need to have them next to each other to see all my ideas in one go. Unfortunately, that’s simply impossible with digital planners.
And you can tell me what you want, but when you have a paper planner that is pretty and stirs up some motivation inside you to take action just by looking at it, that’s already ten extra points for paper planners.
Besides the benefits listed in this blog post of using paper planners and writing by hand – I firmly believe that people are drawn to the nostalgic and mindfulness aspect of paper planners. There is just something about the feel of paper in your hand and setting aside time for yourself to make a plan for improving the quality of your life.
So, are you thinking about giving paper planners a try now?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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